Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Wife Who Built The Billionaire : Kabanata 11 - Kabanata 20

"Tell security to hold him in the ground floor conference room," Adrian said. "Not up here. Not yet."Marcus was already typing. "Done. That buys us maybe five minutes before he starts making calls of his own."Isabelle stood frozen by the desk, the wire authorization still sitting between them like a live wire. "Five minutes for what?""To decide how we want this to go," Adrian said, turning to her. "Because your father didn't come here to apologize, Isabelle. He came here because he knows something's moving faster than he planned for.""He's my father.""I know." Adrian's voice softened, but only slightly. "That's exactly why you shouldn't be the one who confronts him first.""No." She straightened, some of the shakiness leaving her spine. "I've spent seven years letting other people manage the parts of my life that involved him. I'm not doing that today."Adrian studied her for a long moment, and whatever he saw in her face made him nod once, slow and certain."Together, then," he

"Call her." Isabelle's voice was sharp, urgent. "Adrian, call your sister right now."Adrian was already dialing, the phone pressed hard against his ear, his other hand gripping Isabelle's like an anchor. It rang twice before Vanessa picked up."Adrian, I saw the article, I—""What did you agree to do?" Adrian cut her off. "Sophia just texted Isabelle. She said to ask you what you agreed to do if this ever came out. What is she talking about, Vanessa?"Silence on the line, long enough that Isabelle's chest tightened with dread."It's not what you think," Vanessa said finally, her voice smaller than Isabelle had ever heard it."Then tell me what it is.""Not over the phone." Vanessa's breathing sounded uneven. "Come to my apartment. Please. Both of you. I'll explain everything."The line went dead before Adrian could argue.They took Adrian's car, the city sliding past in streaks of light neither of them looked at. Isabelle sat with her hands folded tightly in her lap, replaying Sophia

Isabelle read the signature three times, as if repetition might change what it said.Marcus Grant. Not Adrian. Marcus."That can't be right," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.Emma leaned forward, keeping her own voice low. "Adrian didn't sign off on the falsified numbers. Marcus did. Adrian knew about it after the fact, and he chose not to report it, which makes him complicit either way. But the actual falsification, the signature that authorized the valuation report going to the board, that's Marcus."Isabelle's mind raced back through every conversation of the last four days. Marcus, sitting across from her with careful concern in his eyes, telling her he'd only recently uncovered Sophia's lies. Marcus, guilt-ridden over staying silent for three days about the fake pregnancy. Marcus, who had positioned himself as the one person cutting through everyone else's secrets."He's been the one managing all of this," Isabelle said slowly. "Digging up Sophia's records. Finding the

"That's not possible." Isabelle's voice came out steadier than she felt, though her hands had gone cold. "My father would have told me if he owned part of Reyes.""Would he?" Marcus's voice was quiet, almost gentle now, the fight gone out of him. "Isabelle, your father spent eight years building positions in companies connected to Adrian without either of you knowing. Whitmore. Reyes. Probably others we haven't found yet. Why would this be the one thing he told you the truth about?"Adrian was staring at the folder like it might catch fire. "If Gerald owned forty percent of Reyes before I acquired it, and I overpaid because of a falsified valuation—""Then your father-in-law made a substantial profit off his own daughter's marriage," Marcus finished. "And he did it quietly enough that neither of us noticed for three years."Isabelle sat down slowly in the chair across from the desk, her legs no longer entirely willing to hold her. "Did you know? When you falsified the numbers. Did you

Isabelle felt the floor tilt beneath her for what felt like the tenth time that week. "That's not possible. He said it in that exact detail. Six hundred jobs. A dying town.""I pulled the employment records myself," Marcus said. "Reyes topped out around ninety employees at its highest point, five years before your father ever bought in. Whatever story he's telling you, it's not the real one."Adrian's jaw tightened. "Then we ask him. Directly. When he gets here.""If he gets here," Isabelle said. "He might not come at all once he realizes we're not accepting the version he's already rehearsed."As if summoned by the thought, Adrian's phone buzzed with a text from building security. *Gerald Carter requested access. Says he's expected.*"He's here," Adrian said quietly. "Faster than an hour.""He was probably already in the car when he called me," Isabelle said. "Which means whatever story he's about to tell us, he's had time to polish it."They waited in tense silence until the office